Case straightener



July 26, 1966 J. R. SCHULTZ 3,262,304

CASE STRAIGHIENER Filed Aug. 6, 1962 F 35 I8 35 FIGZ INVENTOR. JEROME R SCHULTZ United States Patent 3,262,304 CASE STRAIGHTENER Jerome R. Schultz, 310 12th St., Garden City, Karts. Filed Aug. 6, 1962, Ser. No. 215,207 2 Claims. (Cl. 72-393) This application relates to a case straightener and more particularly to an automatically operated device whose primary purpose is to straighten wire cases or similar carriers which find utility in carrying milk bottles, cartons or the like.

In the dairy industry, similar to other industries, modernization is largely accompanied by automation. Automated methods for filling milk bottles, cans, cartons and the like are commonly employed. Mechanized operations for loading the milk containers into fabricated wire cases have also been devised. These fabricated wire cases are usually of such a dimension as to accommodate a plurality of bottles or cartons. The handling and delivering of these cases invariably subject them to rough handling, resulting in their becoming bent and distorted. Since these cases are designed for repeated use, means must be provided for straightening the cases and particularly the fabricated wire construction thereof before they can be again used to accommodate the milk bottles or cartons. It has been the usual practice to restore the cases to their original shape and form by manual means. It is one object of this invention to provide a mechanized means by which these cases may be straightened.

The above-identified object is achieved in accordance with the present invention by positioning the wire case on a supported turntable or the like, properly aligned with a movable head structure. This head structure may be engaged within the case in a collapsed condition and then by means provided in accordance with the present invention, the head is expanded to fully engage the inner contour of the case. Further expansion of the head under controlled conditions returns the case to its original shape and form. With the case now in its original shape and form and the head positioned within the case, broken wires may be brazed or welded, bowed wires may be tapped back into alignment with a hammer and other minor breaks may be mended. The case is accessible for easy working by the turntable upon which it is positioned. After the case has been completely Worked upon, the head is withdrawn to its initial position in a collapsed form.

Qther objects of the present invention will become more apparent from a detailed description of the accompanying drawings.

In the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a front elevation partly diagrammatic showing a fabricated wire case positioned on a turntable with the head portion of the case straightener aligned with but out of engagement with said case;

FIGURE 2 is a fragmentary front elevation of a portion of FIGURE 1 showing the head of the case straightcner engaged within the fabricated wire case;

FIGURE 3 is a top elevation partly in section of the head portion of the case straightener, said head being engaged within a fabricated wire case and being in an expanded form;

FIGURE 4 is similar to FIGURE 3 but showing only the head in a collapsed form;

FIGURE 5 is a view taken along the line 55 of FIG- URE 4; and

FIGURE 6 is a top plan view of two members of a modified head.

Turning to the figures, the fabricated wire case 10 is positioned on a turntable 11 which in turn is supported by any conventional means such as that shown by 12.

ICC

The means 12 may include an adjustable platform 13 supported on a plurality of support members 14. Holes 15 and pegs 16 provide the adjustment for the height of platform 13. As shown in FIGURE 1, the case straightener and more particularly the head portion 17 thereof is withdrawn out of engagement with the fabricated wire case 10. The head 17 is carried on the end of a rod 18, which rod engages into a hydraulic cylinder and piston arrangement generally indicated by the numeral 19. A hydraulic system is diagrammatically shown for actuating the cylinder and piston arrangement 19, including the hydraulic fluid carrying lines 20 and 21. A valve 22 is of conventional arrangement and can be turned to a first position whereby the pump 23 can pump the fluid 24 from the sump 25 either through the line 20 to force the piston previously referred to in a downward direction or through the line 21 to force said piston in an upward direction. In either event, the opposite line is used as the return line. It can be seen then that by proper positioning of the valve 22, the rod 18 to which the head 17 is connected moves said head either into or out of engagement with the case 10. Of course means are also provided for operation of the pump.

With the case 10 positioned on the turntable 11 and in proper alignment with the head 17, the pump is operated and the valve 22 is set so that the hydraulic fluid forces the head into engagement with the case 10. This engaging position of the head within the case 10 is shown in FIGURE 3. Turning to FIGURE 3, a sleeve 25 is fixed about a cylinder 26 in which the rod 18 threadedly engages. Welded to the sleeve 25 are four metal members 27. These metal members 27 have holes through the ends thereof to receive cotter pins 28. A substantially U-shaped metal member 29 engages about the end of the member 27 and has cooperating holes therein to also receive the cotter pin 28. Extending from the member 29 is a threaded rod 30 about which is threaded a lock nut 31. A female adapter member 32 is threaded on the other end of the rod 30. The opposite end of the female adapter engages about a metal member 33 which together with the adapter 32 is provided with means to receive another cotter pin 34. Each of the metal members 33 has welded thereto an angle iron member 35 carrying at the bottom thereof a slide plate 36.

FIGURE 2 shows the head 17 in fully expanded form so as to return the case 10 to its original form and shape.

FIGURE 4 shows the head in collapsed form, which form it assumes when the head is oriented as shown in FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 5 also shows the head in a collapsed form.

As the head engages into the interior of the case 10, it ultimately reaches the bottom of the case which, of course, is resting upon the supported turntable 11. Further movement of the rod 18 causes the angle irons 35 to move laterally, aided by the side plates 36, until they all engage the inner contour of the case 10. Sufficient movement of the rod 18 is provided to fully extend the case 10 to its original shape and form. The pivoting linkage between the members 27 and the members 33 assure that the expansion of the head is properly achieved.

It can be seen that the arrangement provides for ad justment of the size of the expanded head. For instance, it can be seen that with one of the angle irons disconnected from the linkage connection, that the female adapter 32 may be more or less threaded onto the rod 30 and in final position the lock nut is tightened against the adapter 32. Then the angle iron 35 may be engaged with the adapter 32 by engaging the metal member 33 in position to receive the cotter pin 34. Similar adjustment may be made for all four of the angle irons. Therefore, the head is adapted to engage into various size cases.

As shown in FIGURE 5, there are upper and lower sets of linkages for engagement with the angle irons 35. All sets are similar. It is preferred that two sets be provided to achieve more efficient operation and better straightening of the cases. While the upper set has been described, the lower set operates in a cooperative manner precisely as the upper set.

A modified head is shown in FIGURE 6. The two angle iron members 35 are shown in expanded form. In such form as shown in FIGURE 3, there would be a gap between these members. But the modified head of FIG- URE 6 provides means of spanning this gap. A slide plate 40 is held between shoulders 41 and 42 by spring biased pin 43 mounted to plate 40 and engaging in a hole in member 35. One end of the plate 40 may have 45 bevel so as to cooperate with complementary bevel on shoulder 42. This facilitates sliding of plate 40 onto and out of communication with member 35. The length of plate 40 may be coexistent with that of members 35.

What has been described is one embodiment of the present invention. Other embodiments obvious to those skilled in the art from the teachings herein are contemplated to be within the spirit and scope of the following claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A fabricated wire case straightener for returning a case to its original form comprising,

a support member for engaging the bottom of a case to support it in position for straightening,

a head member for engaging a case to be straightened from within the case,

a reciprocating rod engaging said head member and being hydraulically actuated tomove between two extreme positions,

said head member having four angle iron members engageable in respective corner portions of said case,

two linkage connections being provided between said rod and each of said angle iron members, each of said linkage connections having means to adjust the length of said linkage connection, said reciprocating rod, said linkage connections and said angle iron members cooperating to constitute a collapsed form of said member out of engagement with the interior contour of said case when said reciprocating rod is in a first extreme position and to constitute an expanded form of said head member in engagement with the interior contour of said case when said rod is in a second extreme position,

said means to adjust said linkage connections permitting variation in the size of said head member when in expanded form, said head engaging said support on movement of said reciprocating rod from said first extreme position to said second extreme position, whereby said head is caused to vary from said collapsed form to said expanded form. 2. A straightener as defined in claim 1 further including a slide plate carried by each of said angle members and extending therefrom toward an adjacent angle member, and means adapted to permit said slide plate to overlie said adjacent angle member when said head is in said collapsed form and to permit said slide plate to extend between said angle member and said adjacent angle memher when said head is in said expanded form.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 80,673 8/1868 Serviss 113-103 257,794 5/ 1882 Weitzel 2693 1,058,669 4/1913 Goddard 153-48 2,931,416 4/ 1960 Krise 72-393 CHARLES W. LANHAM, Primary Examiner. 

1. A FABRICATED WIRE CASE STRAIGHTENER FOR RETURNING A CASE TO ITS ORIGINAL FORM COMPRISING, A SUPPORT MEMBER FOR ENGAGING THE BOTTOM OF A CASE TO SUPPORT IT IN POSITION FOR STRAIGHTENING, A HEAD MEMBER FOR ENGAGING A CASE TO BE STRAIGHENED FROM WITHIN THE CASE, A RECIPROCATING ROD ENGAGING SAID HEAD MEMBER AND BEING HYDRAULLICALLY ACTUATED TO MOVE BETWEEN TWO EXTREME POSITIONS, SAID HEAD MEMBER HAVING FOUR ANGLE IRON MEMBERS ENGAGEABLE IN RESPECTIVE CORNER PORTIONS OF SAID CASE, TWO LINKAGE CONNECTIONS BEING PROVIDED BETWEEN SAID ROD AND EACH OF SAID ANGLE IRON MEMBERS, EACH OF SAID LINKAGE CONNECTIONS HAVING MEANS TO ADJUST THE LENGTH OF SAID LINKAGE CONNECTION, SAID RECIPROCATING ROD, SAID LINKAGE CONNECTIONS AND SAID ANGLE IRON MEMBERS COOPERATING TO CONSTITUTE A COLLAPSED FORM OF SAID MEMBER OUT OF ENAGEMENT WITH THE INTERIOR CONTOUR OF SAID CASE WHEN SAID RECIPROCATING ROD IS IN A FIRST EXTREME POSITION AND TO CONSTITUTE AN EXPANDED FORM OF SAID HEAD MEMBER IN ENGAGEMENT WITH THE INTERIOR CONTOUR OF SAID CASE WHEN SAID ROD IS IN A SECOND EXTREME POSITION, SAID MEANS TO ADJUST SAID LINKAGE CONNECTIONS PERMITTING VARIATION IN THE SIZE OF SAID HEAD MEMBER WITH IN EXPANDED, FORM, SAID HEAD ENGAGING SAID SUPPORT ON MOVEMENT OF SAID RECIRPROCATING ROD FROM SAID FIRST EXTREME POSITION TO SAID SECOND EXTREME POSITION. WHEREBY SAID HEAD IS CAUSED TO VARY FROM SAID COLLAPSED FORM TO SAID EXPANDED FORM. 